Leadership

Special educational needs and disabilities provision: aims, challenges and solutions

Ambition Institute expert Ben Karlin unpicks what we know about leading special educational needs provision in schools, the challenges currently faced in the sector and possible solutions.

Dec 09, 2024

Ambition Institute

Special educational needs and disabilities provision: aims, challenges and solutions

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Around two in five children will be recorded to have some kind of special educational need at some point between reception and Year 11 (Hutchinson, 2021).

It is more than likely that there is a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in every classroom, making SEND a part of every teacher and school leader’s role.

Despite the scale of need within the sector, SEND provision is often considered as separate or additional to mainstream education. This leads to pupils with SEND missing out on vital support, with implications for mental health, attendance and attainment (Ambitious about Autism, 2024).

To achieve Ambition Institute’s vision of an education system where every child can thrive, no matter what their background, SEND should be at the heart of our work with schools. Key to this is empowering teachers and leaders to create a safe and inclusive school environment for all pupils to reach their potential.

In this article, I will consider the aims of creating an inclusive school environment, some of the challenges the sector is currently facing, and possible solutions to these challenges.

Read Ben's full piece on the Ambition Institute website here >>

Ambition Institute

At Ambition Institute, we support teachers and school leaders at every stage of their careers, helping them to keep getting better.

We are a charity providing training and professional development based on the most rigorous research and evidence about what really works. Together, we’re shaping the future of education to give every child the best start in life.

Our programmes, including the NPQ for SENCOs, are designed to equip educators to tackle the challenges they face. Our approach is based on sound evidence of what really works, providing practical tools to make an even bigger impact, in the classroom and across the school.

Discover more about Ambition Institute here.

The importance of effective special educational needs provision

We know that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities have some of the largest attainment gaps. At age five, children receiving special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support are already one year behind their peers (EPI, 2023).

This growing need for specialist provision mean that leaders of SEND play a vital role in the success of schools. By championing inclusivity and implementing quality SEND provision in schools, leaders can ensure all pupils have equal opportunity to access education, ultimately improving pupil outcomes.

In recognition of the need to develop expertise around SEND provision, the government has introduced the NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators professional development programme.

Discover more about the NPQ for SENCOs here.